camerapediafandomcom-20200215-history
First Roll
The First Roll (ファーストロール) is a Japanese 6×9cm folding camera, advertised by First Camera Works or Minagawa Shōten from 1933 to 1936 and probably sold until the war. The 1933 release date is given by Baird, pp.17 and 63–4 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras, , items 1044–5, , p.576 and Lewis, p.50. , p.339, lists advertisements dated 1934 to 1936. Baird, p.65 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras, says that the camera was still made in 1937. The First Roll was still listed in the official price list compiled in October 1940. It was certainly made by Kuribayashi. Baird, pp.17–9 and 63–5 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras, p.73 of The Japanese Camera; , p.576. No original document has been found to confirm this. Description of the body The First Roll is a vertical folding camera taking both 6×9 and 4.5×6 exposures. It is not self erecting and the lens standard needs to be manually pulled out after opening. There is a focusing scale on the left of the folding bed but no focusing control is visible: it seems that the camera is focused by manually moving the lens standard back and forth. The U-shaped lens standard and the focusing rails are similar to the corresponding parts on the First plate folder, as is pointed out by Baird. Baird, p.64 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras. The focal length is always 105mm. There is a brilliant finder and a folding wireframe finder including an inner frame for half-format exposures. The eyepiece can be retracted by pivoting along the back. The advance key is at the bottom right (as seen by a photographer holding the camera horizontally) and there are tripod threads both under the body and under the folding bed. The back is hinged to the left and the back latch is covered by a leather handle. There are two red windows near the top of the back, protected by sliding covers. Variations have been observed in the shape of these covers. The name Roll is inscribed on the standing leg. Evolution in the advertisements It seems that the First Roll was initially offered with German lenses and shutters. According to Lewis, the camera was offered in 1933 with a Vario shutter and a Trinar f/6.3 lens for and with a Trinar f/4.5 lens for . Lewis, p.50. Baird also mentions Radionar and Tessar f/4.5 lenses mounted on Compur shutters. Baird, p.65 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras. The camera was advertised in February 1934 in two versions: Advertisement reproduced in , p.85. * f/6.3 lens, Magna shutter ( ); * f/4.5 lens, New Vario shutter ( ). Advertisements in dated May and July 1935 show the following range: May 1935: advertisement reproduced in Baird, p.17 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras. July 1935: advertisement reproduced in , p.72. * Toko f/6.3 lens by Tōkyō Kōgaku, Magna shutter ( ); * State f/4.5 lens by Tōkyō Kōgaku, Magna shutter ( ). The September 1935 advertisement in the same magazine adds a version with a Simlar f/4.5 four-element lens by Tōkyō Kōgaku and a Seikosha shutter (1–250, self-timer), priced at . Advertisement reproduced in , p.85. It is sometimes said that this version was called "First Roll Deluxe", but this is not confirmed by the advertisement. "First Roll Deluxe": , item 1045; Baird, p.65 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras. Baird says that this version was released in 1937, but this is a mistake. The last known advertisements are dated October 1936. October 1936 supplement to Camera Club, second cover. The last advertisement listed in , p.339, is in of the same month. However, the First Roll still appears in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, in two versions called "First Roll I" (¥45) and "First Roll II" (¥56), with no further detail. , type 6, sections 1 and 2. Actual examples The versions with Magna shutter and either Toko f/6.3 or State f/4.5 lens have been observed on repeated occasions. Toko f/6.3 lens: examples pictured in Baird, p.63 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras, in , item 1044, sold as lot no.658 of Westlicht auction no.6, as lot no.777 of Westlicht auction no.15, and observed in an online auction. — State f/4.5 lens: examples pictured in pictured in this page of the AJCC website, sold as lot no.659 of Westlicht auction no.6, and observed in an online auction. — The example pictured in Baird, p.73 of The Japanese Camera, is reported to have a Toko Anastigmat 10.5cm f/4.5, but this lens certainly does not exist and the camera certainly has a State f/4.5 instead. The Magna shutter gives 25, 50, 100, B, T speeds selected by a small wheel at the top. It also has a simple thread-and-pin self-timer device. The shutter plate is marked MAGNA in the speed dial, SEIKOSHA at the bottom and has the SKS logo at the top right. The Toko f/6.3 lens has the Tōkyō Kōgaku logo and is engraved Tokyo Kogaku TOKO–Anastigmat 1:6.3 F=10.5cm Nr.xxxx or simply Toko–Anastigmat 1:6.3 F=10.5cm Nr.xxxx. Tokyo Kogaku TOKO–Anastigmat: example observed in an online auction (lens no.1431). Toko–Anastigmat: example pictured in Baird, p.63 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras, and perhaps example pictured in , item 1044. The State f/4.5 lens has State–Anastigmat 1:4.5 F=10.5cm Nr.xxxxx and the Tōkyō Kōgaku logo; it seems that the early ones have a black rim and the late ones have a silver rim. Black rim: example sold as lot no.659 of Westlicht auction no.6 (lens no.5477). Silver rim: example pictured in this page of the AJCC website (lens no.13543), and example observed in an online auction (lens no.136x3). One example of the First Roll with Simlar f/4.5 lens and Seikosha shutter is pictured in . Example pictured in , item 1045. The shutter gives T, B, 1–250 speeds; the shutter plate is inscribed SEIKOSHA–TOKYO at the top and SEIKOSHA again at the bottom. This particular example is missing the wireframe finder. The other observed lens and shutter combinations are as follows: * Magna shutter, First Anastigmat f/4.5 lens engraved First–Anastigmat Tokyo 1:4.5 F=10.5cm Nr.xxxx; Example observed in an online auction with lens no.9722. * Rulex A shutter (1–200, B, T), Radionar f/4.5 lens by Neumann & Heilemann. Example pictured in Baird, p.65 of Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras. Notes Bibliography * Item 196. (See also the advertisement for items 106–7.) * Pp.17–9 and 63–5. * P.73 (picture only). * Camera Club. Saishin shashinki zenshū (最新写真機全集, Compendium of the latest cameras.) Supplement to the October 1936 issue. Advertisement on the second cover. * Type 6, sections 1 and 2. * P.50. * P.576. * Items 1044–5. Links In English: * Past sales by Westlicht: ** First Roll (Magna, Toko f/6.3) and First Roll (Magna, State f/4.5), lots no.658–9 of auction no.6 (November 6, 2004) ** First Roll (Seikosha, Toko f/6.3), lot no.777 of auction no.15 (May 23, 2009) In Japanese: * First Roll (Magna, State f/4.5) in this page of the AJCC website (with a sample picture) Category: Japanese 6x9 viewfinder folding Category: Kuribayashi Category: F Category: 1933